Excavating apparatus



Feb. 3, 1959 J. J. BRELL EXCAVATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16. 1957 INVENTOR. Jules J. Brett 34 as M Feb. 3, 1959 J. J. BRELL EXCAVATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16. 1957 Jules J.Brell INVENTOR.

Feb. 3, 1959 J. J. BRELL 2,872,157

. EXCAVATING APPARATUS Filed May 16. 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Jules J.Brell United States Patent 1 2,872,157 EXCAVATING APPARATUS Jules J. Brell, Baldwin, N. Y. Application May 16, 1957, Serial No. 659,526 11 Claims. (Cl. 255-4) This invention relates to excavating apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus especially useful for digging relatively narrow ditches or trenches, graves, pits, post holes and various other excavations, and particularly in localities where there is relatively little working room and where it is desired to disturb surrounding earth as little as possible.

Most excavating devices, as known at the present time, are large, heavy and cumbersome and require consid erable space within which to operate. While such devices are effectively used for digging lengthy trenches along a street or boulevard when the main lines of sewage pipes are to be installed, these unwieldy devices are generally limited to large-scale operations, and the narrow trenches which extend from the mains to the houses for sewage pipes usuallyrequire the efforts of pick-andshovel laborers. to a small, mobile, easily-operated digging or excavating unit which will rapidly excavate these small, narrow trenches, and in fact which will conduct any relatively small-scale digging operations speedily, economically and with a minimum of disturbance of surrounding ground.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a digging or excavating device attached to and cooperating with a dirt-collection bucket, the apparatus comprising one or more scoop or shovel-carrying conveyors mounted to encircle the bucket; to excavate the ground beneath the bucket and carry the displaced earth above the bucket and deposit it therein. The invention further contemplates the provision of means to suspend the unit from an arm or crane to lift it out of the excavation and dump it.

The invention additionally contemplates the provision of a digging device which, when placed upon the ground,

The present invention therefore relates 1 25 will actually dig itself into the earth and deposit the displaced earth into a bucket carried by it and forming a part of the unit. The invention contemplates the employment of a motor, preferably, but not necessarily, of hydraulic type which will be carried as a part of the digging unit, and which will operate the scoop-carrying conveyors as well as operate the doors which are opened preceding the dumping operation. I

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with some parts shown, in .section and other parts broken away, of an excavating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to theview of Fig. 1; Y

- Fig.. 3 is aside elevational view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, and

. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 indicates generally the bucket or soil-collection receptacle of the apparatus. The bucket is open at the top and provided in the bottom of the bucket is an angular baflie plate 2 which tends to direct the contents of'the bucket toward two side openings in the opposite walls Patented Feb. 3, 1959 of the bucket, which openings are normally closed by the hinged doors 3 and 4. Each of these doors is hinged at the top, as indicated at 5, permitting it to be swung to open position when required, and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to enable the dirt to slide out of the bucket forsdumping. The hydraulic means employed for opening and closing these doors 3 and 4 will be later described.

Rigidly secured to, and extending upwardly from the upper open end of the bucket 1 is a frame generally indicated at 6 and said frame includes an upper structure 7 and a housing 7a, in which is mounted a hydraulically-operated motor 8 from which conduits 9 and 10 extend to a source of hydraulic fluid used for operating the motor in the known manner. Extending vertically downward from the motor 8 is the motor shaft 11 (Fig. l) on which a gear 12 is mounted. Gear 12 is in mesh with another gear indicated at 13 and which is mounted on a vertical shaft 14 rotative in suitable hearings in the housing 7a.

meshes witha drive gear 16 secured ona shaft 17 T0- tative in suitable, hearings in the housing 7a. Secured on the shaft 17 is a sprocket 18 engaged by a chain 19,- and said chain extending about 'a sprocket 2il securedv on a shaft 21 rotatively mounted in a pair of cars 22 projecting from one end of the housing 7a. the shaft 21 is a sprocket 23 around which chain 24 extends, said chain extending downwardly to engage a sprocket 25 on a shaft 26, which shaft extends across the top of the bucket 1 and carries a pair of sprockets indicated respectively at 27 and 28. Shaft 26 is rotative in the bearings 29 and 48 secured-to and supported by the end wall 30 ofthe bucket 1. The sprockets shown at 27 and 28 are the driving elements for a two-chain conveyor, the chains thereof being respectively shown at 31 and 32. The sprocket shown at 27 engages and drives the continuous chain 31, while a-sirnilar chain 32 is en-v gaged and driven by the sprocket 28. Extending between and carried by the chains 31 and 32 are the shovels or scoops 33, each shovel or scoop being provided with one or more removable and replaceable teeth- 34.

.of the bucket adjacent'to the end wall 30 thereof, and

mounted above the opposite end'wall, indicated at 30a, is a rotatable shaft 47 mounted'inbearings similarto those shown at 29 and 48 in Fig. 2. Rotatively, and

loosely mounted on shaft 47 is a pair of idler sprockets,- one of which is shown at 28a, and the other of which is Conveyor chain 32' engages sprocket 28a While its companion chain 31 en not shown but is similar thereto.

gages the second idler sprocket loose on shaft 47.

At a location diametrically opposite from its point of engagement with the wor1n=gear 16, the worm 15engages a second worm gear indicated at 37, said worm gear 37 being secured on a rotative shaft 38 mounted in suitable bearings in the housing 7a. Secured on the shaft 38 is a sprocket 39 engaged by a chain 40 which passes over a sprocket 41 mounted on a shaft 42 rotative in suitable bearings in the pair of cars 43 extending 7 Also secured on the shaft42 is from the housing 70. a sprocket 44 engaged by a chain 45 which engages with a sprocket 46" mounted in the shaft "that Mounted on the shaft 14 is a worm 15 also rotative in hearings in housing 7a and which Secured on is rotatively mounted in bearings secured on the upper end of the bucket. Secured on shaft 47 are two sprockets not shown, but similar to those indicated at 27 and 28 on shaft 26, and engaged by one of these sprockets is a continuous chain 51 which encircles the bucket, being guided in its movement around the same by means of the rail 52. A similar chain 53 engages the second sprocket on shaft 47 and the chain 53 also extends around the bucket 1 and is guided in its travel by means of the rail '54 provided on the face of the bucket. The two chains 51 and 53 are connected by means of the spaced shovels or scoops 55 which are provided with the removable or replaceable teeth 56. Freely mounted on the shaft 26 are two idler sprockets 49 and 50. Chain 51 engages and is guided by. the sprocket "49 while chain '53 engages and is guided by the sprocket shown at 50.

Through the arrangement described, the two conveyors, one of which consists of the chains 27 and 28, and'the second of which consists of the chains 51 and 53, travel in opposite directions. Hence, the shovels or scoops on the two conveyors face oppositely, as will be noted in Figs. 1 and 2. As will also be noted in Fig. l, the shovels 33 travel in the direction of the arrows 57, while the shovels 55 travel in an opposite direction, or in the direction indicated by the arrows 58 in Fig. ,1.

During the excavating operation, it is desirable to stabilize the apparatus and restrain any tendency it may have to pivot or swivel, and hence for this purpose is provided a pair of hollow prongs or spikes shown at 69 and 61, and which penetrate the ground below the bucket 1 and act to restrain any twisting movement of the apparatus about a vertical axis. To facilitate the entry of these prongs or spikes 6t) and 61 into the earth during excavation, rotatively operative angers 62 and -63 are employed. The auger shown at 62 is operative in and below the prong 60, while that shown at 63 is operative within and below the prong 61. The shaft 64 of the auger 62 is guided by the bearing 65 and is provided at itsupper end with a bevel gear 66 meshing with a bevel gear 67 carried by a cross shaft 68 located within the bucket. Also mounted on the shaft 63 is a sprocket 69 engaged by a chain 70 which extends around a sprocket 71 carried on the shaft 26. This arrangement is such that as the chains 31 and 32 are moved, shaft 64 will be rotated to cause a hole to be formed in the earth by auger 62 in advance of the prong or spike 60 to enable the prong to easily enter. Auger .63 is driven in similar manner, that is to say, its shaft 72 is supported in the bearing 73 mounted on wall 30a and carries a bevel gear 74 meshing with a bevel gear 75 secured on a cross shaft 76 which carries a sprocket 77. A chain 78 engages the sprocket 77 and extends around a sprocket 79 on shaft 47. i

From the foregoing, the operation of the described excavating apparatus will be readily understood. In the use of the apparatus, it is generally supported on a cable extending from a beam or arm carried by or forming part of a suitable transportation vehicle. The upper part of the frame 7 may be provided with an eye 6a by which the apparatus can be suspended. The apparatus is lowered to rest upon the ground at the location where the pit, trench or other excavation is to be formed and when the hydraulic motor 8 is operated, the two oppositely-moving, two-chain conveyors will be set in operation and the shovels or scoops'33 and 55 carried thereby willexcavate below the bucket and as the shovels or scoops are carried over the open top of the bucket they will dump their contents into the same, the apparatus digging deeper and deeper into the earth until the required depth of excavation is reached. The two oppositely-operating conveyors serve to balance one another, and twisting or rotating movement of the apparatus as a unit is not present, such movement being additionally prevented by the employment of the prongs 6t) and 61 and the angers cooperating therewith.

When the bucket 1 is loaded and requires emptying, the apparatus is lifted bodily out of the hole or trench which it has produced and is swung to position over the point of dirt deposit, and the doors 3 and 4 are then opened. Each door is connected "by a rod 80 to hydraulic cylinder 81 containing .a double-acting piston to which the hydraulic fluid is conveyed as required by the piping 82, 83 to cause the doors 3 and 4 to be opened when required to allow the earth to descend out of the bucket, and thereafter closed preparatory to the next excavating operation.

When the apparatus is not in use, it may be supported in an erect position by means of the legs 84 and 85. The legs 84 are pivoted at their upper ends, as indicated at 86, and when the said legs are lowered or arranged in their operative supporting position, as shown in Fig. 2, they are braced by and prevented from outward movement by hooks 87 pivoted at 88 to the legs 84, and engageable with an eye 89 mounted on the bucket below the door 4. Similarly, the legs are pivoted to the opposite wall of the bucket as indicated at 90, and said legs 85 carry a hook 91, pivoted at 92 to the legs 85 and engageable with an eye 93 on the bucket'below the door 3. When the legs '84 and 85 are maintained in a raised position, as during the excavating operation, they assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and are held in this raised and inoperative position by means of hooks 94 and '95 which are respectively attachedat 96and 97 to the frame structure 7.'

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a pair of buckets are arranged in tandem. The bucket shown at 100 is coupled or rigidly connected to its companion bucket 101 by a suitable connecting frame including a pair of .beams 102 which maintain the two buckets and the excavating elements supported thereby in close but spaced relationship substantially 'asnshown in the drawing. The buckets 100 and 11?} maybe constructed substantially as described in relation to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as far as the driving means for the conveyors are concerned, except that as shown, the two conveyors on each bucket are driven in the same direction. That is to say, the conveyors 103 and 104, each composed of two continuous chains connected by the scoops 10,5 and carried by the bucket 101, are driven in the same direction. The two conveyors shown respectively at "106 and 107, carrying the scoops 108 and supported by the bucket 100 .are .both driven in the same direction, but the direction of movement of these two conveyors is opposite to the direction of movement of the two conveyors 103 and 104. Each of the buckets 100 and 101 carries a spike or prong 109, and these two prongs may be of the hollow type 60, 61 provided with an auger operating as previously described. As an alternative, each of the buckets 100 and 101 might be provided with two scoop-carrying conveyors which operate in different directions substantially as shown in the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. Other arrange ments of the excavating units in groups or gangs are.

possible according to the nature of the excavating to be performed.

Another embodiment of the invention, is diag'ramma'tL' cally illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein another arrangement of conveyors on a bucket is disclosed. Therein is shown a central two-chain conveyor 110 and two side conveyors indicated respectively at 111 and 112. The two chains of the central conveyor 110 carry relatively. wide scoops 113, while the two chains of each of the side conveyors 111 and 112 carry relatively narrower scoops 114. It will be noted that the wide scoops 113 are approximately twice the width of thescoops 114. It will also be observed that the two. side conveyors 111 and 1-1.2..operate in the same direction, while the central conveyor 113 operates in' an opposite direction, the directions of operation of the several conveyors being indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. This construction results in a balanced arrangement.

From the foregoing, the convenience of the excavating apparatus will be apparent. Its unitary construction, small size and mobility enable it to be easily handled, particularly in areas where small pits, narrow trenches, graves, ditches and many other forms or excavating, and especially where very little operating room is provided, and where a trench, ditch or pit must be dug with as little disturbance as possible to surrounding soil.

in illustrating the apparatus described herein, certain elements, such as protective covers or deflectors, protecting parts of the mechanism from forcible contact with the earth dumped into the bucket, have been omitted for simplicity in illustration. This is particularly true of covers or deflectors which may be fitted over or around the auger-operating mechanism or the hydraulic means for operating the doors 3 and 4, or around such other parts as may require protective enclosure.

While I have herein described several embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An excavating apparatus comprising, a collection bucket, a frame secured thereon and extending above an open top on the bucket, the bucket having a closed bottom and openings in its side walls, hinged doors closing said openings, means for opening and closing the doors, a motor carried by the frame, a pair of oppositelymoving chain conveyors extending around the outside of the bucket and movable below the closed bottom and above the open top of the same, each of the conveyors carrying spaced projecting shovels adapted by conveyor movement to excavate below the bucket and carry their loads to the top of the bucket and deposit the same into the bucket, and gearing between the motor and conveyors to thereby drive said conveyors in opposite directions.

2. An excavating apparatus as provided for in claim 1, wherein the bucket is provided at the bottom with spikes to penetrate the ground and prevent turning movement of the apparatus about a vertical axis, and rotative blades adjacent to each spike to assist in the entry of the spike into the earth.

3. An excavating apparatus comprising, an open top collection bucket and means for suspending the same, a chain conveyor encircling the bucket, means on the bucket for supporting and guiding the conveyor means for moving the conveyor around the outside of the bucket, the conveyor in its travel moving both below the bucket and over the open top of the same, the conveyor carrying radially projecting excavating shovels so shaped and positioned that the same, on travel of the conveyor, are caused by movement of the conveyor to excavate while below the bucket and carry the removed earth above the bucket and deposit the earth through the open top and into the bucket.

4. An excavating apparatus comprising, a frame, an earth-collection bucket attached to the frame, means connected to the frame to permit raising or lowering of the same and the attached bucket, conveying means encircling the bucket and movable around the outside of the same, the bucket being open at the top and closed at the bottom, the conveying means including a plurality of excavating shovels successively moved below the bucket and caused by movement of said conveying means to excavate below the same, and successively moved by said conveying means over the open top of the bucket to thereby dump the removed earth into the bucket, drive means mounted in the frame above the bucket for moving the conveying means, the frame, bucket, conveying means and the conveyor-driving means being movable together as a unit down into the excavation and below the ground surface as the digging progresses.

5. An excavating apparatus comprising, a collection bucket, conveying means mounted for continuous movement around the outside of the bucket, said conveying means including a plurality of digging shovels carried in succession by the conveying means under the bottom of the bucket in a manner to cause them to excavate below the bucket, said shovels being carried by the conveying means across the top of the bucket in a manner to cause earth carried by the shovels to be deposited into the bucket, a frame arising over the top of the bucket and above the conveying means, means for driving the conveying means supported in the frame, the area of excavating operation of the shovels being greater than the horizontal dimensions of the bucket so that the bucket can descend into an excavation formed by the operation of the shovels.

6. An excavating apparatus comprising, a collection bucket provided with an open top and a closed bottom, a chain conveyor encircling the bucket and mounted for continuous movement around the outside of the bucket, sprocket supports on the bucket carrying sprockets for guiding the chain conveyor, a frame extending above the bucket, a plurality of excavating shovels carried by and projecting outwardly from the chain conveyor and arranged thereon to cause them to successively excavate below the closed bottom of the bucket and then dump the removed earth into the bucket through the open top thereof when the shovels reach a position, by conveyor movement, over said open top, the conveyor defining a digging area greater than the horizontal dimensions of the bucket whereby the bucket is carried down into the excavation by the digging operation, and driving means for the conveyor mounted in the frame and above the bucket and movable in company with the bucket into the excavation.

7. In an apparatus as provided for in claim 6, wherein the bucket is provided with outlet openings in its opposite sides and with hinged doors closing the openings, and means for opening and closing said doors.

8. An apparatus as provided for in claim 6, wherein the chain conveyor which encircles the bucket consists of a pair of side-by-side conveyor sections moved in opposite directions.

9. In an excavating apparatus, a collection bucket having an open top and a closed bottom, a pair of chain conveyors carried by the bucket and encircling the outside of the same and movable in opposite directions across the top and bottom of the bucket, each conveyor carrying a series of projecting shovels that are caused by movement of the conveyors to excavate below the bucket when moved below the same, and to deposit their contents into the bucket through the open top of the same when said shovels are moved across said top, the shovels forming an excavation larger than the size of the bucket so that the bucket is carried down into the excavation as the digging progresses, and means carried by the bucket for driving the conveyors.

10. In an apparatus as provided for in claim 9, including means at the bottom of the bracket for entering the earth in advance of the shovels to restrain the apparatus from rotative movement about a vertical axis.

11. In an excavating apparatus as provided for in claim 10, wherein the means which enters the earth consists of a plurality of spaced prongs and rotated blades associated with the prongs.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jourdain June 14, 1955 

